Congress approves education legislation

The Higher Education Sustainability Act is part of the Higher Education Opportunity Act of 2008, which awaits the president's signature.

The landmark environmental education legislation creates a University Sustainability Grants Program at the U. S. Department of Education that will provide competitive grants to institutions and associations of higher education.

The bill also directs the Department of Education to convene a national summit to support sustainability curriculum development and sustainable management practices on college campuses.

Voluntary measures are under way at more than 500 of the 4,100 U.S. colleges and universities to reduce their carbon footprint and expand environmental education, he said.

"We still have a way we can go in programming, but we are finding ways to make infrastructure improvements here," Schmotter said. "I think this is a trend you will see happening on college campuses as we are being challenged to manage energy costs more efficiently."

One plus for higher education is that its staff and students know the importance of taking action, he said. "We have a deeper and longer standing understanding of environmental issues, and we don't have to convince our stakeholders that this is the right thing to do."

The first environmental education bill passed by the federal government in 18 years sends a clear message of the need to prepare the next generation to be educated about this issue, said Heather White, director of education advocacy for the National Wildlife Federation, which supported the bill.

The bill will support the cost of 25 to 200 projects but does not have a precise grant commitment.

The money could also be used for projects establishing sustainability literacy as a requirement for degree programs and for integrating sustainability in all programs of instruction.

"It's two-pronged and it's really important," White said. On one hand, it will prepare future leaders in how to be environmentally conscientious, and on the other hand it will do things like reduce greenhouse gas emissions on college campuses.

"The first step is creating the grant program," White said. "The second step is putting money where their mouth is."

The higher education act increases the Pell Grant maximum to $6,000 next year and phases in an increase to $8,000 over six years.

It requires colleges and universities to report their tuition costs to the Department of Education, and schools with the greatest price increases would be required to explain to the Department why the cost of tuition is increasing. The bill also improves student loan policies.

Sen. Chris Dodd, D-Conn., co-sponsored a provision of the bill for study abroad and to provide fellowships to minorities and women underrepresented among college professors, especially in math, science, engineering and technology.